Dakk Heller
Dakk "Bandit" Heller (9 BBY - ) was a senatorial guard and unofficial advisor in the Galactic Alliance. As a Lieutenant, Dakk commanded a platoon of thirty-six guards. Due to his history on both sides of the law, first as a gambler and conman then later as a New Republic marine, his platoon was known for being a very tight-knit family due to the emphasis he placed on mutual trust and respect. They had their squabbles, like any family, but they could always be set aside when there was a job to be done. Background Thug and Con Artist Dakk Heller was born in Coronet's slums, and it was there that he developed his view of reality. There were two kinds of people in the galaxy: those who had power, and those too weak to seize it for themselves. His parents, while probably decent people deep down under the faces they showed the world, fell into the latter category. Afraid that they would drag him down with them, Dakk left home when he was still a child, throwing his lot in with a swoop gang - he served as a spotter and all-around snitch until he was old enough to ride as well. Moving up through the gang's ranks was hard work, and he took his fair share of beatings when he picked the wrong fight at the wrong time. If nothing else, it taught him to be more patient and to better analyze people, to say nothing of the incentive it gave him to begin exercising regularly. He learned very quickly that there was one very reliable way of removing competition, and that was in playing politics. If he played his cards right, he never even had to lift a finger of his own. By the time he was twenty, however, most of the gang had been picked up by CorSec or been driven into hiding, assuming they hadn't come to a worse end at the hands of their many rivals. Deciding enough was enough, Dakk set off to make his fortune, turning to the galaxy's casinos. While the real war raged on around him, he focused on conning gullible men and women out of their hard-earned credits at sabacc tables and swoop courses all over the galaxy, relying more on his ability to read body language than his actual skills at gambling or talking pretty to get the job done. Sad part was, it worked. Dakk was able to live very comfortably during this period, and the occasional run from the law and disgruntled suckers was actually a great deal of fun. At least, he found it fun, but he was often rather drunk when it happened, which probably explains why he thought so. New Republic Marine .]] In 17 ABY, during a visit to Nar Shaddaa, Dakk met a wearer of many hats as she was taking a sabbatical from the galaxy's madness. She shared stories of her past, both the checkered parts and not-so-checkered parts. Eventually, the two forged a friendship that led to Dakk deciding that maybe she'd been on to something when she left the life of a criminal behind her. The following year, he traveled to Ord Mantell, where he joined the New Republic Marines. While the transition from a binge-drinking, hard-living con artist to a New Republic marine was a difficult one, it was also one that Dakk was dedicated to making. There were rough patches galore, particularly early on - a few fights with enlisted personnel and officers (including at least one instance of socking a superior officer right in the face, which landed him in the brig for a short time), to say nothing of the injuries he sustained when actually in the field - but he forged on. Eventually, from the other side of his troubles, a decent man and a capable marine emerged, ready to do his part. His skills with regards to situational awareness and reading body language saw him assigned to a squadron dedicated to covert, commando-style missions, where he quickly found his niche as a spotter and gun-hand. He frequently served under two particular heroes of the New Republic, Vengan Draelis and Wrista Ipex, and was pleased to find that their personalities both on and off the field tended to mesh well. Because of this tendency to get along well, he was always the first to volunteer when one of them was putting together a team for a mission, no matter how dangerous; this willingness saw him anonymously taking part in many key battles towards the war's end, including the Battle of Kamino, which he considered his proudest moment. Prouder, even, than the liberation of Coruscant and the Emperor's defeat that followed some months later. The end of the war, while celebrated, was something that Dakk had trouble accepting. The Galactic Civil War had been a fact of life for practically his entire life, and he had grown very cynical even before he enlisted with the marines. He doubted that the war being legally at an end would functionally affect much change... though he was, of course, quite willing to be pleasantly surprised. Senate Guard As the New Republic transitioned into a Galactic Alliance, Dakk transitioned as well. One of his superiors recommended him for a change of venue, one that he decided to accept. While most of his comrades shifted into the Galactic Defense Force, Dakk himself transferred into the Senate Guard. There, he was made a lieutenant and put in charge of thirty-six men and women dedicated to keeping the peace. It was quite an adjustment, but one that he took to naturally, smoothly sliding into the role of a leader (or "middle management," as he referred to it). He made a point of getting to know not only his platoon's personnel, but the politicians that they would be protecting and the other employees of the senate buildings. An unexpected side effect of his new assignment was his long-standing but usually dormant interest in politics creeping closer to the fore, now that he had the reality in such close proximity. He took a genuine interest in the current events of the galaxy, and an even greater interest in studying the various senators that came to work - particularly when they were in front of the press. What they didn't say often said volumes more than what they did, and he found it a very telling exercise. In-Game Events Mission to Bastion (19 ABY) In 19 ABY, Dakk was chosen to lead a squadron of senate guards that would be accompanying Galactic Alliance Senator Riley Chambre on a diplomatic mission to the planet Bastion, the homeworld of the Imperial Remnant. They were joined by Han Solo and Wrista Ipex. While wary, Dakk was determined to at least look like he was giving the entire affair a chance to succeed, and made a point of being friendly and polite to their hosts - even Korynn Fleming and Damion Katon, the latter of whom introduced himself by spitting at him and spent the bulk of their conversation outlining the ways in which he wished to kill him. OOC RP Logs Trivia * Dakk's player, JStarwind, splits her time between this character and helping run a rather large roleplaying guild in the MMORPG, Champions Online. If Dakk is ever scarce, that's probably why. * Yes, that JStarwind. How are you? Category:Characters Category:Corellians Category:Galactic Alliance Characters Category:Humans Category:NR Characters